James Waskom, director of the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, will speak to the Press Club of Baton Rouge on Monday, Dec. 18. Waskom will recap the 2017 hurricane season, provide an update on the 2016 flood and discuss changes proposed for the Flood Improvement Act during the 2018 Legislative Session. Press Club meets on Mondays at the Belle of Baton Rouge Hotel, which is located at 102 France St., in the East and West Baton Rouge Room. Parking is free in the garage off Mayflower Street. Lunch, which is served at 11:30 a.m., is $13 for members and $17 for nonmembers. The public is invited, but only members of the Press Club and the news media are allowed to ask questions during the question-and-answer portion of the program.

Walter Kimbrough, president of Dillard University in New Orleans and a national expert on hazing, will speak to the Press Club of Baton Rouge on Monday, Dec. 11. He will discuss hazing, in light of the recent death of an LSU student and other fraternity pledges across the nation this year, and the challenges and best practices for schools trying to prevent it. Press Club meets on Mondays at the Belle of Baton Rouge Hotel, which is located at 102 France St., in the East and West Baton Rouge Room. Parking is free in the garage off Mayflower Street. Lunch, which is served at 11:30 a.m., is $13 for members and $17 for nonmembers. The public is invited, but only members of the Press Club and the news media are allowed to ask questions during the question-and-answer portion of the program.